Stay ahead of corrosion

Jack Blundell, ROCKWOOL Technical Insulation, USA, reviews how advanced stone wool insulation helps keep industrial facilities, such as LNG plants, running by keeping corrosion under insulation at bay – now and in the long run.

Water is a major challenge in many process-intensive industries, and LNG is no exception. In most plant operations, the ingress of water through the insulation system and onto the metal surfaces of pipes and other equipment can cause aggressive corrosion under insulation (CUI). If left unchecked, CUI can lead to unanticipated heat loss, unplanned downtime, and leaks and spills that create hazards for plant personnel and may hurt the plant’s standing as a responsible environmental steward.

While many LNG processes require insulation for low-temperature applications, some critical areas in the plant operate at elevated temperatures where CUI poses a higher risk. The severity of CUI is related to the temperature of the pipe or equipment, with higher temperatures translating to more aggressive corrosion at higher rates. For cyclic plant operations running between cold and hot temperatures, the risk of CUI is considered ‘extreme’, with dangerous and expensive consequences.